Ittm s



ttnitr tate @anni effin.

J HN MIN ER AN D SILAS MERRIOK, OF NEW BRIGII'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 109,141, dated November 8, 1870.

-M IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

The Schedule referred to ln these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

To all whom it muy concern Be it known that we, JOHN Minnie and SI'LAS Mnnuwk, ot New Brighton, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Railroad-Switches and we lo hereby declare Athatfthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operaf tion ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification, and to the letters and iigur'es of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 ofthe drawing is a top view of our invention.

Figure :a isa vertical transverse section of the same,

Our invention relates to means for preventing the chairs and rails from closing iu upon and binding or falling away from the switch-rails of a railroad track, and consists in the construction and novel arrangement of blocks or wedges, whereby certain outside or independent rails or b u-rs o'i'iron are secured firmly to the chair at one end, and v,to the l'nfiain track at the other, whereby the switch-rails are held to their places, independentlyl of any support from themselves, the whole driving force of the rolling-stock heilig transierred to the outsidejlmrs.

Ihe letter A of the drawing designates the main track-rails at one end of the switch, the switch-rails being attached thereto hymeans of' the springing fishplates b. l

C represents the switch-rails. 1

1), the chair or bed-plate, in which are Aseated the ends ofthe main' and branch track-rails. p

On each side of the switch are spiked to the ties the independent bars E. Old worn-out rails may here serve an excellent purpose. p

At one end the `rail E is secured to the main trackrail by bolts passing through the ordinary bolt-holes and the broad block Z, which is designed to bear against the stem of the rail'between the auches,gaud to prevent the same from moving endwise without carrying with it the outside vrail E.

At the other or movable end of the switch the rail ofthe main track is bolted to the branch track-rail T, a similar block being placed between the rails, and perforated, for the passage of the bolts.

In the same manner a block is introduced between the rail of the branch track and the outside rail E, the same bolts s passing through all three of the rails and rmly binding them together.

It is thus evident that the rails 'E will maintain a constant distance between the heel of the switch-rails andthe endsof the rails in chair D. I

The block or wedge Z', between thediverging tracki rails, is provided with a tenen or mortise, by means of which it is connected with the chair underneath, which is provided with a corresponding mortise or tenon,as the case may be.

What we claim'as our invention, and desire to secure by .Letters Patent, is

In combination with the blocks Z Z,perforated for the passage ofthebolts, the track-rails A lb-,chair or bed-plate D, and the outer binding-rails E, when construetedand arranged to keep the track-railsin the proper position with respect to the switch rails C, as specified. j

In 'testimony that we claim the above, we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two p witnesses.

` JOHN MINER. I.

SILAS MERRIOK.

Witnesses CHAs. Hoors, R. E. HooPEs. 

